The Boy's Story
by WepCREATOR
Summary: My first fic. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance story. Rating may change. What if someone else was transported to Ivalice?
1. Default Chapter

Hi, this is my first fan fiction. I thought that a Final Fantasy Tactics Advance would be just the thing to start me off. I don't own the game, Square Enix does, but Shakata, the boy, and similar characters belong to me. So begins my story.

The Boy's Story

Chapter 1: In the Pub

The kid didn't look like much. With his pale red robes, one would think that he was the child of a rich noble. But what would a noble's son be doing in a part of town like this? There he sat, in the pub of Cadoan, which was another mystery in itself. Cadoan was a town of Nu Mou, which was evident in the races of the patrons. Why was a human here? He had just come in and sat down, like he owned the place. He talked to no one but the waitress, who had come long ago. People in the bar shifted their topics of discussion from what previously held their interest to the boy. What was most interesting about him was the seal he wore above his face. It was a solid gold seal bearing an eye. This was the sacred sign of Alchemy, an art that was only practiced by Nu Mou. More and more questions sprang up about the child.

The only other non-Nu Mou pub patrons were a Moogle and a Bangaa. They seemed even more interested in him than anyone else. Whispers were exchanged between the two over the boy. Finally the Bangaa stood up from the table and strode over to the boy's table, trailed by the whisper, "Be careful, kupo."

The Bangaa sat down at the boy's table. He didn't seem to notice. Not even when he cleared his throat for attention. Finally the Bangaa initiated conversation.

"Lousssy weather, huh?"

The boy merely nodded his head.

The Bangaa tried again. "Ssso, my friend and I were talking over there, and we were wondering..." The Bangaa paused for a breath. "We were wondering if you belonged to a clan."

This prompted a response from the boy.

"Well well, someone asks me about something other than my Alchemist skills. And from you, no less."

The Bangaa looked confused. The boy generally had that effect on people. "Me?"

The boy looked up at the Bangaa. "Yes, you. If you want someone innocent to join your web of death and deceit, try to not look like yourself. Those glasses have no lenses, those robes look like they came from a stage shop, and a black diamond is inscribed on your hand. You are no mere clan leader. You are Shakata, the Dark Bishop and leader of the Phora Cult." The boy said this just loud enough for everyone in the pub to hear.

It was hard to tell what happened first: the amazed look on the Bangaa (now revealed as Shakata)'s face, or the screaming. The Phora Cult was a well-known "clan" that spread death and disease wherever it went. Shakata was public enemy no. 1, as proclaimed by the castle.

After the initial pandemonium and the evacuation of the pub, only the boy, Shakata, and Shakata's moogle friend remained inside.

"Ssso, you know who I am. Impresssive. But no one has ever known who I am and lived."

Shakata pulled out from his robes an ornate staff that glowed with magical power. 

"Let'sss ssse how your Alchemy fares against my dark magicssss."

The boy unveiled a mace with a sharp blade curling around it. With a stroke of his hand and a cloud of smoke, Shakata was transformed into a frog. The boy then turned his attention to the retreating moogle. He pointed his mace, and the moogle was frozen in time. He wasn't just an Alchemist. 

The boy left just as he came-silently and confidently, only now he had a smile on his face.

And so ends Chapter 1! Like what you read? Don't like what you read? Review or mail me at evadude@kc.rr.com. 


	2. A Day Like any Other

Hi everyone! Welcome to The Boy's Story Chapter 2: A Day Like Any Other. Glad to hear a couple of positive reviews for chapter 1. Be assured that the chapters will be longer. But I digress. On to the story!

The Boy's Story Chapter 2: A Day Like Any Other

The boy trudged out of the empty pub and into the Cadoan snow. He didn't know much about where he was except that it seemed to be Final Fantasy-HIS Final Fantasy-and he resembled his own personal character. He reviewed his memories to try to find a clue at how this had happened.

------------------------------

The boy had no friends in the real world. He didn't even know the names of his classmates. He dedicated every moment he ever had to the game. The boy was an accomplished computer hacker-an odd hobby in the small country town of St. Ivalice. His goal in life was to make his own personal scenario for Final Fantasy. There would be several things that would remain the same from the game he wished to mimic, but overall it was HIS story. He hacked into the school computer system weekly to maintain his grades, however. 

He had hacked almost everything about the game. The main character could be an Alchemist/Time Mage, a class that would previously been impossible to a human. He seemed to resemble his character now. The boy wanted to have nothing to do with the outside world; he just wished to complete Final Fantasy.

One day in winter, the rest of the class was outside having a snowball fight. Of course, the boy would have nothing to do with this; physical activities were trivial and wasted time. He thought that he would have been left in peace, but a red-haired girl who must have snuck into the classroom would allow nothing of the sort.

"HEY, YOU!" she shouted, startling the boy from his laptop computer.

After calming himself that it was nothing (potentially) dangerous, he replied, "What do you want? I'm busy."

"Why are you always on a computer? Don't you ever do anything else?" she practically screamed at him, though he was standing right there.

"In a word, no. Now go away and do whatever it is kids do," the boy replied, bringing an abrupt end to the "conversation."

"Fine, but you're missing out!" the girl finished, trotting out of the room.

Jeez, what a bother. Why can't they just leave me alone? the boy thought to himself, as he went back to work.

---------------------------

The boy lied in bed that night, angry that his mother wouldn't allow him to stay up later working on the game. In reality, the boy rarely slept, opting to continue work on his Final Fantasy instead. But his mother had insisted that he get some real sleep.

Unable to succumb, the boy sat up and looked out of the window. He watched the town, it's merry residents walking the streets, shopping for the holidays. The boy had given up holidays long ago. He no longer cared.

He shifted his gaze to another part of town, to a bar near his home. He noticed one of the bar's regulars, a brown-haired man who hadn't appeared to have shaved for a long period of time. the boy knew that the bar had ruined his life, and wondered if he would ever make something out of himself. Then he wondered, Will I ever make something out of myself?

Just then, a brilliant light appeared from a house nearby. It seemed to engulf the town, and when it reached the boy's house...

That finishes Chapter 2! As many of you can guess, the red-haired girl in school was Ritz, and the brown-haired man was Cid. See everyone next chapter of The Boy's Story!


	3. The Long Card of the Antilaw

Hey there, everypeoples! Chapter 3 is ready to go! The updates may take a little longer from now on, because I have a new idea for a story that may even be up today. But you can still expect weekly updates. Anyhow, onto the chapter!

The Boy's Story Chapter 3: Long Arm of the Antilaw

Well, here the boy was, in Ivalice. The recollection of memories did little to help him with a solution to where to go next. And he could hear people coming, when the last thing he wanted was to be noticed. He ducked down a nearby alley in an attempt to hide.

What he found down the alley was-of all of the things it could have been-a shop. An inconspicuous shop, but a shop nonetheless. The weather-battered sign proclaimed that the name of the shop was 'Card Master'. The boy seemed to have little opinion of the shop, judging by it's appearance, location, and name.

'Probably some cheap tarot card place that's too poor to sell in the main street. But maybe it can serve as a hiding spot,' the boy thought. After checking that nobody was coming from either direction, he strode inside the shop.

He wasn't prepared for what he found inside the 'Card Master'. Sure, there were cards, but there seemed to be an almost...magical in property. The boy could sense the alchemy that went into the making of these cards. There were several glass displays of cards, and there seemed to be two types of cards. Some had suns inscribed in the center of them, and some had moons. He wondered what the differences were. He was studying one closely when...

"Can I help you?"

The boy looked up in surprise at a Nu Mou wearing purple robes and a golden eye above his face, just as he did. A fellow Alchemist. The Nu Mou had pierced ears and a red nose. He carried a blue book with him.

"Uh, yeah, I was wondering if you could tell me what these cards do."

The Nu Mou sat down behind one of the displays of cards and began to speak. "Well, my young friend, these are Law and Antilaw cards. The Law cards are the ones with the suns, and the Antilaws have moons."

"Okay, so what's the difference between the two?"

"Law cards put new laws into place. Antilaws abolish laws."

The boy reared back in surprise. "Whoa, that sounds pretty powerful." Then he considered where the shop was located, and what they had for sale. He decided to ask. "What's the catch?"

The Nu Mou grinned from across the display at the boy. "The catch is, my young friend, they're illegal."

The boy didn't look too surprised. "Figures, considering where this place is. Why were these made?"

"To help the resistance. Laws these days are becoming too strict. That's why we make these-to abolish them."

"That's interesting," the boy said after a moment. "And you made these cards?"

The Nu Mou grinned even wider. "Why yes, my young friend, I did make these cards. Ezel Berbier, at your service. And you are?"

The boy thought long and hard about this. Would he give Ezel his real name? He seemed friendly enough. But these cards were illegal, and if Ezel got caught, then he might give away the names that are associated with him. He decided to give him a fake name that he could change later.

" I am...Cala."

"Well Cala," Ezel said, "It's nice to meet you. Listen, I have an idea. Why don't you join the resistance? You seem interested enough in Law cards, and by the looks of you, you're an Alchemist, like me. They'll never expect a human Alchemist. What do you say?"

"Sure." Cala said.

"Then follow me. I'll show you to your comrades." Ezel got out of his seat, and led Cala into a back room.

Chapter 3 comes to a close! I decided to give the boy a name in this one, because I was sick of calling him 'the boy'. Hoped everyone liked it. Please R&R until next time!


	4. HQ

Hello! Welcome to Chapter 4 of The Boy's Story. Please R&R my work-I hardly get any e-mail otherwise. Come on people, I'm lonely! PLEASE!...Or you could just read the chapter. Your choice. 

The Boy's Story Chapter 4: HQ

Ezel led "Cala" out of the shop and through several narrow alleys. They twisted this way and that way for nearly an hour. Finally Cala asked, "Where the hell are we going?"

Ezel replied, "I always take a long, winding path to the resistance house. Good for losing anyone that may be following."

This only seemed to anger Cala. "We've been walking for an hour. Let's friggin' get there already."

Ezel sighed. "Fine, fine, we'll start actually getting there. It'll only take five minutes or so."

After several minutes, they reached a small home in a clearing in some woods outside of town. 

"This is the resistance headquarters. Shall we enter?" Ezel invited Cala in. 

"Fine. Let's just get this over with," Cala relied.

The headquarters was a small, cozy hamlet that had a warm, inviting feel to it. Hardly the place that you would suspect to harbor people who wish to commit crimes against the crown.

"This place doesn't look like headquarters for an underground movement."

Ezel replied, "That's the impression that we're trying to make. No one would ever look here."

Ezel grabbed a lamp from a table and pressed down on the bulb. The table split open and the ground opened up, revealing a staircase. Ezel led Cala down the stairs to a large wooden door. He knocked on it, and a slit opened up. "Password?" a voice asked.

"Tartarus," Ezel said calmly to the voice.

The door opened into darkness, beckoning Ezel and Cala. 

I think that this chapter is going to stop here. Sorry, I still have trouble figuring out how long these chapters should be. R&R everyone please until next time!


	5. The First Job

It took me a while, but here's Chapter 5! And this one won't be horrendously short, either. The reason these take so long is because I'm lazy, I'm a procrastinator, and I play Dungeons and Dragons with my friends on the day I intend to update. Also, my rule of ownership: if you recognize them from the game, they don't belong to me. Anyhow, Chapter 5!

The Boy's Story Chapter 5: The First Job

Cala and Ezel waded through the darkness of the tunnel until they reached a small room. The room was decorated with old furniture that seemed greatly outdated for the time period. On the earthen walls were plans or announcements for various things, and a pair of pictures of the queen and judgemaster with huge, red Xs through them. Cala looked closely at the picture of the armor-clad, brown-haired judgemaster, thinking that he had seen someone like him before. He shook it off and turned to Ezel.

He noticed the other two people in the room: a Viera with short, white hair wearing black clothing, and a Moogle wearing a brown hat and a holster with a gun in it on his hip. They were standing by a table with a frayed map of Ivalice.

Ezel seemed to recognize the two. "Ah, Josele and Klondae. How are you two?"

The Moogle, who responded to Klondae, replied, "We're doing alright. How's the shop, kupo?"

Ezel turned towards Klondae. "It's doing alright. What I'm really interested in is this new project I'm working on.

"Tell me about it sometime, kupo." Klondae sat down and took his hat off.

"Who's your friend?" Josele asked Ezel, upon noticing Cala.

"This is Cala," Ezel told them, motioning towards the boy. "He aims to join the resistance."

Josele looked uninterested. "Don't they all. We're going to have to put him through the initiation. You know that, right?"

Ezel nodded. "I know, I know. In fact, I have just the job in mind." He motioned for Cala to come closer, then showed him the map on the table.

"Here's Ivalice," he began to explain. "We are here," he said, pointing to Koringwood Forest south of Cadoan. "Our intelligence has told us that the palace is planning an area-to-area search for members of the resistance. They plan to use a pattern, but we don't know what they have in mind. However, we know that their intended route is located here, in Bervenia Palace. Your job is to sneak in there, swipe those plans, and bring them back here without alerting anyone."

"Wait a minute," Cala interrupted. "I'm an Alchemist. Alchemists don't sneak very well. Why don't you send her? She's an Assassin."

"Hey, whose initiation is this?" Josele looked up and took notice.

----------------------------

Several hours later, Cala was perched on the windowsill outside of Bervenia Palace. He cautiously looked in through the window to the room and spotted two Bangaa Defenders guarding the door. He crept around to another window to what looked like the kitchen and spotted no guards outside.

Cala carefully used his mace to carve a hole in the window and pulled out the map he was given. "Let's see here," he said to himself. "The plans should be down the hall and to the right. Hopefully there will be no guards on my way." With that, Cala crept into the hallway and took to the ornate and beautifully decorated walls. He could hear conversation around the corner.

"...is, if nothing shows up soon, I'm gonna start slashing."

"Fine. But remember what happened last time."

Cala quickly spun around and waved his mace. The two guards were dead within seconds.

This was beginning to look like the easiest job ever. The door was wide open and unguarded. All he had to do was waltz in, grab the plans, and jump out of the nearest window. Unfortunately for Cala, a servant came around the corner and spotted him. She was about to drop the laundry she was carrying and run away screaming, but with a point of his hand, the woman merely ran away. No sound came from her lips.

Thank God for Silence, he thought.

In the room, Cala inspected several documents until he found the plan he was looking for. He rolled it up, put it in his pocket, and turned to leave. But standing in the doorway was the person whose picture he had seen in the HQ. The judgemaster. And Cala immediately recognized him as that bum from the real world.

His jaw dropped open as he realized that he wasn't the only one taken here...and that he was in deep trouble.

That finishes off Chapter 5. Thought I'd leave this one as a cliffhanger. Please R&R and come back next time as Cala faces off with Cid! 


	6. Hassle in the Castle

Chapter 6 is here! Now to end that week-long cliffhanger. Will Cid strike down Cala? Will Cala escape instead? Will Square Enix love my story and give me a million dollars for it? Not likely!

The Boy's Story Chapter 6: Hassle in the Castle

Cala's eyes were wide with surprise as he found himself face-to-face with the Judgemaster. What surprised him even more was that he recognized him as the lazy bum that hangs around the bar in the real world. 

"Hey...It's you!" Cala said, after recovering from the shock. "You're that guy from St. Ivalice! I recognize you!"

The Judgemaster seemed taken aback. "I don't know what you're talking about, thief! Lowly scum like you don't even know who I am!"

"Of course I do!" Cala replied. "You're, uh...Cid. That's right. You're name is Cid."

"It doesn't matter who I am right now! It does matter that you are here!" Cid roared at Cala. "Prepare to die, scum!"

With that, Cid drew a large, shining sword and charged at Cala. He dodged out of the way and made a break for the door.

"You won't get away from me that easily! Guards! Attack!" Cala heard yelled behind him. Two Bangaa defenders rushed in from the hallway, swords at the ready. He fired a salvo of Flare at them and cooked them in their armor where they stood. Cala dashed into the hallway and turned the corner, Cid at his heels.

Cala looked back to see the Judgemaster gaining on him. Wondering how Cid could run so fast wearing a full suit of armor, he cast Haste on himself and dashed for the castle gates. But the gates were locked tight with no hope of opening them, he was moving too fast to stop, and Cid was hot on his heels. Cala dashed full speed at the gate with a plan in mind. Behind him, Cid had stopped running and yelled, "You'll be a pancake on the gate! We'll smear you off and arrest whatever's left!"

Cala pointed his mace at the gate and muttered a few words under his breath. Suddenly a huge, flaming meteor appeared behind him, aimed for the gate. Before Cala could get there, the meteor crashed into the huge gate, blowing it off of it's hinges. He dashed out of the castle at full speed and into the Materiwood to the south.

The second he left the castle, judges on chocobos began pursuing him. they had large judge's swords and were prepared to swing them if they got close. Cala dashed into the dark woods beyond with the judges on his tail. One judge threw his sword at him. He ducked it as it flew into a gnarled tree. He dashed around the tree that the judge who threw the sword was so mystified that he ran into the same tree that his sword was lodged into.

Three judges were still trailing Cala, and Haste was starting to wear off. There was no way he could outrun chocobos normally. Spotting a large tree up ahead, he cast Quicken on himself and ran up the tree at lightning speed. He went so fast that he seemed to disappear to the judges. They looked around for a moment, didn't find him, and rode back to the castle.

Cala jumped out of the foliage and pondered to himself how to escape the confines of the dark Materiwood.

Whoa! I wasn't expecting this when I was writing this chapter. I make up a chapter as I write it, so it surprised me. Anyway, check out Chapter 7 next week, when Cala must brave the horrors of the Materiwood! 


	7. In the Materiwood

Chapter 7 is here, though a bit late. Hope everyone likes it. 

The Boy's Story Chapter 7: In the Materiwood

Having lost the judges, Cala jumped down from his tree perch to have a look around. He sat down and thought to himself.

'Okay, I'm in the Materiwood south of the castle. For now I'm safe, but that may not last too long. I have with me a map I stole from the palace. I need to get this to the underground resistance HQ ASAP. The Koringwood is east from here, so if I'm going to warn them in time, I'd better start walking.'

And walk he did. The Materiwood was vast, with winding paths and many mazes. For many an hour Cala walked east, having no idea how long the Materiwood would extend. He finally stopped to rest at a clearing.

'Man, what a long walk,' he thought. Cala went to take a drink from a nearby stream when something caught his eye.

A small, glowing orb lit up the clump of trees in front of him. He wandered over and touched the orb. It reared back, then flew off in the opposite direction. Cala decided to follow it.

It led Cala through a great part of the forest for a long while. It even brought him to the clearing again several times, only to continue to run. It always stayed one step ahead of him.

Finally it led Cala to a tunnel that went beneath a large oak tree, where it fizzled out and disappeared. If looked it had wanted him to enter the tunnel. It was very dark, as well as long and winding. But finally Cala reached the end. 

In the subterranean grotto, a shining, beautiful fairy resting on a large flower greeting Cala. "Hello, Cala," the fairy spoke. "I am Mati, fairy queen of the forest."

"How do you know my name?" asked Cala.

"I knew you as soon as one of my fairies led you to my lair," replied Mati. "I also know what you want."

"Really. And what might that be?"

"You seek a way to return home, to the world you know. Am I correct?" Mati asked Cala.

"Yeah, that's right," he told her. "Do you know of a way to get me home?"

"There are magical crystals in this world," she began. "Five of them to be exact. They are kept secret by the palace. Only the queen, prince, and judgemaster have knowledge of the crystals.

"The crystals are what binds our reality together. As long as the crystals exist, then this Ivalice will exist. The only way to restore things to their proper place is to destroy each and every crystal."

"That doesn't sound too hard," said Cala.

"Oh, but it is," Mati replied. First you have to find them, and the rift to the crystals opens and closes at random times. Then there are the legendary guards of the crystals, the Totema."

"Totema?" Cala asked.

"The Totema are legendary and ferocious beasts. Each race of Ivalice made one to guard a crystal long, long ago. So long ago that no one even remembers the construction of such beasts. The Totema will guard the crystal at any cost."

"I see," said Cala. "Can you tell me where I can find these crystals?"

"I can not," she told him. "The knowledge has faded from my mind many an eon ago. But I can give you this." Mati moved towards Cala and made several elaborate marks on his left hand.

"This marks you as a friend of the fairies," Mati told him. "Whenever you find a fairy, you have found an ally with this mark. Also, the mark will glow brightly whenever you are near one of the crystals."

Just then a blinding flash of light engulfed Cala instantly. The last words he heard were, "Good luck."

The next thing he knew, he was standing outside the underground headquarters with a map in his pocket and a mark on his left hand.

That ought to do it for Chapter 7. I don't know about you, but I like here this story is going. Please review and check back next Saturday (or Sunday) for Chapter 8. 


	8. Kidnapped!

Late again. Darn it. Why did my friends have to have an outer wall _and _tunnel with that snow fort? Oh well, Chapter 8 is here with an old character. Enjoy.

The Boy's Story Chapter 8: Kidnapped!

"What took you so long?"

Cala walked into the secret room of the underground resistance to find Josele waiting for him with no words of congratulations. "Well?"

"I got lost in the Materiwood south of the castle," Cala mumbled, trying to hide the markings on his left hand.

"The Materiwood? What are you, stupid? Koringwood is EAST of the castle. What the hell were you doing there?"

"Judges found me and chased me there," Cala replied.

"So you got caught!" Josele exclaimed. "With that in mind, I'll bet you didn't even find the map."

Cala suddenly exploded. "You know what?! I wouldn't even have tried to find the map if I had known that this is the thanks I would've received! You could at least have been a little grateful for finding the map that'll keep the underground hidden! But if that's how it's going to be, then I'm out of here!" With that, he stormed out of the cottage without looking back. Without even knowing where he was going, he marched east.

Maybe I should have been a little less mean to her, one side of him thought. Maybe she doesn't know how to act any other way. No way, another side of him countered. She was being an asshole. She deserves to be found. But not the others, the first side said. They didn't do anything. Ezel and Klondae deserve for me to give them the map. It was my mission. They assigned it to me.

Cala was so busy thinking that he hardly noticed a snake-like sound coming from behind him. Suddenly a Bangaa grabbed him from behind and held a knife to his throat. "Remember me?" he slithered in Cala's ear. His eyes grew wide from fear. Shaskata was back for revenge.

Cala was thrown into a burlap sack bound and gagged. "Take him to Aisenfield, and make it sssssnappy," Shaskata told his goons. "But knock him out firssssst." Cala took a sword hilt to the gut and was out instantly.

When he awoke, he was still bounded and gagged. He seemed to be in a peaceful-looking field. Shaskata or his goons were nowhere in sight.

Suddenly a yellow blob appeared from around a rock. It didn't notice him at first, instead eating a dead squirrel. It quickly turned to notice Cala. After sitting there for a minute, it slither off. Cala was glad for it to be gone.

His happiness didn't last for long, however. The blob returned with several other blobs of a different color. Following them were some dangerous-looking wolves, some red, some blue. With them came large turtle creatures, and with them were giant bugs. More and more animals kept coming, and soon Cala was surrounded. The creatures looked ready for a fight...and a fresh meal.

Chapter 8 stops here. It would be longer, but a cliffhanger makes sure you come back for No. 9 and keeps what I have in mind a secret. Plus, there's kind of this test that I should be studying for right now instead of writing. Please R&R, I need the mail. 


	9. Lini to the Rescue!

Here's Chapter 9, here to finish the cliffhanger of the last chapter. It's kinda cool when people review you to tell you to hurry up and update to see what happens. For this chapter, those of you who know about The Hero Gaol ought to recognize someone in this chapter. Off we go!

The Boy's Story Chapter 9: Lini to the Rescue!

Cala was surrounded by monsters. Bound and gagged, it seemed that there was no way that he would get out of this alive. He decided to make it though this no matter what, so that he could deliver the map back to the resistance. But it looked as though that wouldn't be done.

A red panther, who looked like the leader of the monster horde, stepped forward to take a look at the new meal. It walked around Cala, looking him over, and finally deciding that there wasn't a lot of meat, but what there was would taste great. It howled to it's fellow monsters, and they seemed happy about whatever their leader said. About 30-odd monsters moved in for the kill. Cala noticed that some of them were fairies, apparently wild ones with no sense of pride. He would show them the mark of fairies on his hand, but his hands were still bound. My only hope is that one of them can cut the ropes so that I can show them the mark, he thought.

The red panther was about to take the first bite when it suddenly went stiff and rigid. It had a look of pain in its eyes, and it toppled over. The other monsters, curious about what had suddenly done in their strong leader so suddenly, turned to look. A Moogle stood about 10 feet away from the crowd. He held a bright, gleaming, red blade in one hand. He wore a black suit of armor and a silver helmet. The Moogle, obviously an elite Mog Knight, stared fearlessly into the eyes of the monsters, and yelled at the top of his voice, "Let him go, kupo!"

The monsters seemed amused by this. Either this guy's crazy, or he's got a death wish, Cala thought.

The Moogle swung his sword in an odd fashion. It launched an invisible blade of air that was aimed precisely at the ropes that binded Cala. Now that he was free, he undid the gag and pulled out his mace. This little Moogle guy had just saved his life, and now he had to get him out of trouble.

One group of monsters charged. Cala waved his mace, and a large meteor flew out of the sky and collided into the charging party.

A second group ran at Cala. With some magic words, half of them were frozen in time. The other half was turned into frogs. 

Now every monster was hell-bent of watching Cala die a bloody and painful death. The remaining monsters charged with reckless abandon. The unknown Moogle waved his blade and jumped high into the air. He aimed at the center of the monster horde. With a triumphant cry of "ULTIMA!" the Moogle unleashed an explosion of gigantic proportions. Almost everything was dead instantly. Cala noticed a few fairies fly off to safety, however.

When the dust settled, the blob monster he had noticed earlier was the only creature left. In a futile attempt to avenge his friends, it spit some acid at Cala. He protected himself with Astra, then cast Flare to put an end to the battle.

"Hey, we did it! I don't know who you are, but thanks-hey, where are you? He was just here..." Cala looked around for his Moogle friend. He remembered that the last he had seen of him was during that blinding Ultima Charge attack. Cala didn't want to think that his friend had been vaporized by his own attack. He didn't have time to, either, as those fairies came out of nowhere to surround him.

Finishing one cliffhanger with another! Sorry for all of you Lini fans out there. But hey, R&R to tell me what you think of the story so far. Until next week, Merry Christmas (or other holidays based on religion)!


	10. Cid Does His Homework

Sorry I took so long to update. I took a couple weeks off, and now's the time to get this thing rolling again. So Chapter 10 is ready to go!

The Boy's Story Chapter 10: Cid Does His Homework

The library of Bervenia Castle truly is a wondrous thing the first time you go there. There are so many shelves of books that it extends up a staircase and into the second floor. With books about anything you can imagine, it is truly a spectacle fit for a king...or queen.

Among these pages and shelves of knowledge, we find Judgemaster Cid catching up on some reading. Specifically, he was reading Alchemy: How to Turn Stuff Into Frogs. He was mumbling to himself incoherently, as he had been for several days. It creeped the servants way out, and made it difficult to get help.

The page our dear Judgemaster was reading had so many new notes written into it that he practically rewrote the book. 

****

Meteor

Chapter 8

****

Meteor is perhaps the most powerful, if not most useful of the magic of Alchemy. It calls forth a 

watch out for this

****

large rock from the sky to land and detonate at a point of the caster's choosing within 15 feet of the 

stay away from caster

****

caster. The Meteor's size allows it to also strike within 5 ft. of the targeted point.

fight him alone

Prince Mewt came along and found his father studying an ancient magical art that had only been practiced by Nu Mou for years. "Father, what are you reading?"

"I'm reading about Alchemy, Mewt," said Cid.

"Why?"

"Well Mewt, do you remember that intruder that invaded that castle and smashed down the door a couple of days ago?"

"Yeah."

"He was an Alchemist, and I think he'll be back. I'm researching about it so that I can know what to expect. My only question is, how did he outrun judges on chocobos?"

Mewt walked away, confused about why his father was worrying about outrunning chocobos.

----------------------------------

"Has anyone seen Cala?" Ezel asked as he walked calmly into the underground base.

"Not since we sent him out, kupo," Klondae told him.

"Hey Klondae, why do you moogles always say 'kupo'? What does that mean?" Josele asked.

It's 'Opuk' spelled backwards. Opuk was the moogle who single-handedly won the Great War, kupo. We say it in honor of him."

"That's beside the point. Have you seen Cala, Josele?" Ezel repeated.

"Not since I yelled at him to get out of my face when he came back here. That was yesterday," Josele told him.

"YOU DID WHAT?! Come on! We've got to go find him!"

Chapter 10 completed! Another reason I took so long to update was because I was in Final Fantasy overload. During winter break, I got Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy Origins (Final Fantasy 1 and 2), found a good upcoming deal on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, played Final Fantasy X with my dad, bought and watched the first 8 episodes of Final Fantasy Unlimited, and downloaded the roms for Final Fantasy 5, Final Fantasy 6, and Chrono Trigger. So that makes 8 Final Fantasys! (And Chrono Trigger.) Well, until ext week! 


	11. New Allies

Sorry Chapter 11 took so long. Writer's block, new idea for a fic, and FINISHING ALL 300 MISSIONS IN FFTA TO GET CID! BOOYA! So anyway, better late than never, Chapter 11.

The Boy's Story Chapter 11: "New" Allies

Cala was surrounded by four fairies. The only survivors of that weird Moogle's Ultima technique. And they weren't exactly happy to see him. Well, they were happy to see him without that Moogle around.

Cala thought about his options. Meteor? No, it would only hit all of them if he directed it at himself, and he wanted to leave alive. Flare? By the time he would finish casting, the other three would be all over him. Stop? Death? Haste? It seemed like nothing would get him out of this one, and the fairies were moving closer.

Suddenly, he discovered a new option-the marking on his hand. He remembered that Mati told him that it marked him as a friend of fairies. He raised his left hand and showed the fairies his hand. They drew back in surprise. Good, Cala thought. I'll leave here alive.

FWIP! FWIP!

Two fairies had arrows in their heads. They fell to the ground, dead. The other two shrieked in fear and tried to fly away.

FWIP! FWIP!

They were dead.

The arrows came from behind him. Slowly, Cala turned to face the archer. Second I see him...FLARE! he thought.

When he turned, staff at the ready, he saw...A Viera. Her bow was down, with the prey dead. She wore green clothes and had white hair and a quiver of arrows at her hip. She looked surprised that the mage she had just saved was ready to blow her up.

"Why did you do that?" he spat.

"Because I heard an explosion and came to find a mage about to be mauled by some fairies," she replied.

"I had it under control. Leave me alone."

A girl with red hair and a thin sword at her hip climbed up the pile of rubble the Viera was perched on. She had green eyes and a ran dress.

"Need any help, Shara..." Her voice trailed off at the sight of Cala. "Hey...it's you! I know you! You're in my class in the real world! What's your name again...Oh yeah it's-"

Suddenly she made no sound. She and Shara looked surprised.

"Look, let's not dwell on who we are. I don't really care. I Just need to know where Koringwood is from here. Think you can tell me that?" Cala said in a tired voice.

The red-haired girl nodded her head eagerly. Cala waved his hand, and she said, "It's just due west of here, about a day away."

Cala said nothing. He turned to face west and started walking. 

"Wait!" The red-haired girl yelled after him. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Didn't I make it obvious? I'm headed to the Koringwood." Cala yelled back.

"Well, I was going to invite you to come with us, but since you're going to be all snotty about it, then never mind!" She turned and walked east. Shara stayed for a moment, watching him go, then went to join her.

Cala stood still for a moment. Then, as if reaching a decision, he turned around and started waking east.

Chapter 12 will be up as soon as, um...as soon as I find out what chocobo tastes like. I'm on the verge of a breakthrough, so expect it soon.


	12. The Search is On!

Ok, after an extremely long hiatus, I'm back by popular demand with a new update! And to answer any questions you may have, chocobo tastes like schnozzberry. And I will never speak of it again.

The Boy's Story Chapter 12: The Search is On!

"I can't believe you drove him off, kupo," Klondae said as he crawled behind some bushes.

"It's not my fault he was being all pissy," Josele replied from the top of a tree. "He's the one at fault, not me."

"Will you two stop arguing for two seconds and actually make an effort to locate him!" Ezel yelled out from behind a tree in frustration. "He could be anywhere, and he still has the map! Without that, the Underground's sunk!"

The trio continued to search the forest, though the process was going very slowly (partly because Josele was doing it really half-assed). Finally, though, Klondae stumbled upon a breakthrough.

"Look at these tracks here, kupo!"

The other two rushed over to Klondae sat looking at the ground. He pointed out signs in the dirt of a struggle-footprints, other footprints intersecting the first set of footprints, then just one set of footprints walking away.

"Let's follow them, kupo!" Klondae cried. The trio rushed off in the direction the footprints were headed.

-------------------------------

Elsewhere in the woods...

"Come on! Get moving! I don't want to be out here anymore than you do, so hurry it up so we can get out of here!"

Judgemaster Cid sat perched atop a chocobo shouting orders to foot soldiers. They scurried into action at the very sight of him, at the very sound of his voice. He loved the power.

"Those damned rebels had better be around here somewhere...we've checked every square inch of Ivalice except these woods."

Cid rode quickly into the woods, with two judges flanking him. He shouted out orders to anyone he saw along the way.

"Come on! Get moving! What do I pay you for? Faster! Faster!"

Eventually Cid had outpaced all of his forces, and he was deep into the forest, all alone, save for the two judges.

Cid slowed down, but kept up his quick pace. He searched every place he could find, around every corner, up every tree, under every stone. Eventually he heard the sound of people speaking up ahead, though it was too dark to see anyone.

"I am looking! I'm just, uh, checking the spots you missed...yeah. That works."

"I don't care, just speed it up! We're not going to find him by dillydallying all night long!"

Cid dismounted and crept towards the voices. In the dark he spotted a Nu Mou, a Moogle, and a Viera. They all seemed to be looking for something. They all had their backs to him.

His two judge lackeys spread out, surrounding the clearing that the three were in. Cid took a closer look at the Nu Mou. He recognized him as Ezel Berbier, Public Enemy No. 1! He signaled the judges to move in.

The struggle didn't last long. Sure, there was a stray bullet here or there, and the Viera socked one of the judges right in the store. But soon all three of them were on the ground.

Cid drew a sword and held it to Ezel's neck.

"Ezel Berbier, you are under arrest for crimes against the crown..."

Looks like Cid's little inquisition came earlier than planned! What will happen to Ezel and his friends? Where the heck is Cala in this chapter? The next chapter will have the answer, though it may take a while to come. One word: FFXI. 


	13. Judged

They made it back to town that night. Cala's head was buzzing the whole way back, looking for some clue he had read or some hint he had gathered that could help him. The Totemas had to be around here somewhere. Strategy guides and programmed responses and message boards flashed through his head.

His mental search had separated him from the human from the real world and the Viera she was with. They went left, he went right, no one really noticed. Cala kept walking, thinking about a solution. This was a game, he was in it, there was a solution. The developers wouldn't put in something impossible that was important to advancing the plot like this. All he had to do was advance the plot.

He made a turn into an alley without thinking about it and ran into a tall figure. Cala staggered back, nearly losing his balance, and looked up to mumble an apology to whomever he had collided with. However, his eyes met with a familiar face. His blood froze.

Shakata's eyes went wide with recognition. "YOU," he angrily grunted. With one lightning-quick motion, he grabbed Cala by the shoulder and threw him into a wall, pinning him there with a bulky arm. "We left you for dead. You sssshould be in a monster'ssssss belly."

Cala recoiled in horror. Shakata shot him a stare of pure malice. For a tense moment they were frozen. Then Shakata reared his head back and laughed loudly; it echoed through the cracks in between the buildings and shook the windows. Cala didn't know whether to feel relieved or even more terrified.

Finally Shakata caught his breath. "You've got ballsssss, kid. I grant you that," he said, loosening his grip on the boy's shoulder. "Maybe you're not sssssso bad after all."

Cala's brain started operating again once it understood that it wasn't about to be splattered on the cobblestones. "So…you're not gonna kill me?"

"I don't know if I could at thissssss point! That's what the monstersssss were sssssupposssssed to do!" Shakata nearly started laughing again, but caught himself. "Look, maybe I owe ya one after all that. Where you staying tonight?"

Cala became aware that it was nighttime, and quite cold out, and also that he was likely wanted after his escapade at the castle. Maybe he ought not to spend so much time in his head, he reflected. "Nowhere, I guess."

"Let me put you up for the night," Shakata suggested, sweeping a long arm around Cala's shoulders. He led the boy down the alley. "Heck, let me ssssshow you our headquarterssssss. With everything I've heard about you lately, you might even be getting a job offer! Breaking into the casssstle, that takessss sssspunk, kid."

Cala considered his options. Word was spreading that he was wanted, and having a place off the grid to lay low seemed like a good plan. Plus he wasn't sure he wanted to anger Shakata, a potential new ally. He looked up. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Cala rode on the back of a horse-drawn cart. The cart, also occupied by Shakata and (presumably) one of his Phora Cult lackeys, had left town a while ago. It now was riding a slope downward through a sandy valley, into a ravine surrounded by two high cliffs. Cala had remained silent for most of the ride, but as he looked around now, he perked up. This looked familiar…

Shakata noticed Cala's apparent interest. "The Delia Dunesssss," he said proudly, gesturing at the desert expanse surrounding them. "Jussssst about the lasssst place anyone would like to look, esssspecially when it's for the likesssss of ussss." He chuckled. "The perfect hiding place."

As the cart continued into the ravine, it approached a cave leading underground. A small smile emerged on Cala's face. "Perfect," he whispered to himself.

The cart entered the darkness of the cave, and they abandoned it to continue on foot. The cave arced and spiraled into the earth, further and further down, until it bottomed out a couple hundred feet down, where it began to resemble something man-made. The travelers walked this path by lamplight, but Cala's face was lit up with recognition brighter than the lamp. When they reached the bottom, Cala was absolutely sure what was here.

"We found it like thisssss," Shakata said, motioning to the intricate tile pattern floor, carved jade sculptures and increasing frequency of crystals. "We don't know who made it or why, but it worksssss out well for usssss. Come on, let me ssssshow you the main room." He led Cala past a couple of guards perched by the entryway into another passage as they saluted him.

The next room was nothing short of a wonder. The floor checkered and changed from one tile to the next like the scales of a chameleon changing its color. Arcane symbols littered the large cavern, engraved with runes of a language long forgotten. The room was littered with bags of supplies and loot, no doubt ill-gotten gains of the Phora Cult, but neither they nor the bustling workers, warriors and quartermasters could distract from the sheer otherworldly beauty of the room. Most interesting, though, was the massive crystal at the opposite end of the entrance. The room seemed to flow outward from it, like a river from a waterfall. It seemed like the focal point of the universe; shining light onto everything around it.

"Pretty impressssssive, huh?" chuckled Shakata, crossing his arms.

"Yes," Cala murmured, still in awe. "Very." He collected himself and looked at Shakata. "Mind if I take a look at the crystal?"

"Knock yoursssssself out," Shakata replied. "None of ussss can figure out what it doessss. Jusssst don't blow anything up."

Cala approached the crystal with care, aware what this truly was. Crystals in places of power like this only meant one thing: this was the domain of one of the Totema he sought. But what exactly would he do once the Totema appeared? Perhaps more importantly, how would he get it to show up in the first place? He reached the crystal, its light now nearly blinding this close. With one robed arm shielding his eyes, he extended a careful hand to touch the crystal.

When it did, a high-pitched ring sounded through the room, interrupting the work of the Cult members. The crystal somehow shone even brighter, and brighter still with every passing moment. Cala stumbled back and lost his footing, falling flat on his back before the crystal. An unearthly wind began to whip about the chamber, and the cultists, now afraid for their personal safety, began to flee. Shakata rushed up to Cala and pulled him off the ground.

"What did you do to it?" he shouted above the wind.

Before he could get an answer the crystal's light gathered into a form – an armored seraph, a six-winged angel, towering large and imposing in the chasm. Its light was somehow even more radiant than that of the crystal; it was almost a holy light, but there was nothing gentle about the bladed stave the seraph held in its hand. It pointed straight at Cala, much to his horror.

"I AM MATEUS," the seraph said with a voice bigger than fear, beyond humanity. "YOU ARE ABOMINATION. YOU SHALL BE JUDGED."

With one more blight flash of light, both Cala and the seraph were gone, leaving Shakata the lone figure in the room. After blinking, he said aloud to no one in particular:

"What the hell wasssss that?"


End file.
